Oysters at Twenty-five Cents a Dozen! 1866

Curator: The stark linearity and strategic deployment of cross-hatching in Daumier's lithograph creates a palpable sense of tension and social commentary. Note how the artist uses line weight to convey the subjects' emotional states. Editor: So, in Daumier's "Oysters at Twenty-five Cents a Dozen!," we see a couple seemingly aghast at the price of oysters. What do you see in how Daumier uses form to express this scene? Curator: The man’s exaggerated gesture and the woman's passive resistance, rendered through Daumier’s distinct use of chiaroscuro, evoke a broader narrative about bourgeois anxieties. Do you perceive a deliberate contrast in their body language? Editor: Absolutely, the man's active disgust versus the woman's subdued reaction adds another layer. I now see how Daumier uses contrast to intensify the narrative.